Do you believe in second chances?
by closet-hopeless-romantic
Summary: When Addison comes back to Seattle Grace during season 4, she bumps in to Alex and a whole host of feelings come rushing back. Addex
1. Can't Let It Go

**__**

I'm still in denial about Addison leaving, that totally sucks - these guys are myfavourite pairing by far. The air just crackle when they are together!

**_I haven't seen any of season 4 or half of season 3, so all mistakes are mine, but feel free to drop me a line and tell me so i can update them in the next chapter!_**

**_Hope you enjoy my first foray into Grey's fic. _**

* * *

He really wasn't having a good day. There were no two ways about it. He had been assigned to Dr Shepherd for the day and their patient had bled out on the table. Add that to working with McDreamy; having him question him about Meredith every five seconds and then pretending that he didn't really care was driving Alex to distraction.

It had been a weird few months for him. The Ava/Rebecca fiasco had left him feeling bereft and unsure of what he was feeling. Also, since Dr Montgomery had left, some subtle dynamic in the hospital had changed. Especially for Alex. To his surprise, his interest in obstetrics and neo-natal care had increased, to the extent that he had become almost Cristina–like in his desire to get on the neo-natal cases. Dr Montgomery's replacement was a good enough mentor, he was still learning a lot, but he knew there was something missing; something that he recognised but was not keen to admit out lout. His 'frat-boy' image, although not really true, was something that he wanted to keep: sometimes people knowing that you had emotions was just an inconvenient truth, and one he was desperate to avoid. Hospital gossip was a pain he didn't understand how Meredith, George and Izzie could stand to have their lives scrutinised and in the spotlight so much. It would drive him mad if it were him. Some things it was just better to keep to yourself, he had learnt that from an early age – his father had seen to that. He had truly felt something for Addison, but she was gone know, he'd had his chance. She was wherever she was, and here was here. Alex sighed quietly to himself. He wasn't exactly the most introspective of guys, but every so often, usually when he had seen someone with a particularly bright shade of auburn hair and he would stop and berate himself for being, well, him. He didn't believe in happy endings, but part of him still wondered what might have happened if he hadn't been such a jackass. Today had been even worse. His and Shepherd's patient had been a woman with said hair. Watching her bleed out, knowing there was nothing that could be done, had been hard. That was why he was up here now. On the hospital roof, away from the hustle and bustle and the nosiness of his friends.

Glancing at his watch, he sighed and pulled himself slowly to his feet. He had a couple of patients to check on, and Bailey would have his ass if he went AWOL for much longer. He ambled down the stairs, s topping at the NICU floor to check on one of the newborn triplets that had arrived yesterday, about three months ahead of schedule. One of them, Mollie, had a weak heart, and he had been checking up on her regularly. As he rounded the corner, a flash of red caught his eye and he looked up in surprise. There, standing by the nurses' station, talking to Meredith, was Addison Montgomery. He stopped, momentarily stunned – _what was she doing here?!_ – until a nurse came barrelling around the corner and smacked into him.  
"Doctor Karev, I'm so sorry!" the nurse – he couldn't for the life of him remember her name – said nervously, leaning down to pick up the pile of folders that she had dropped. Alex absent-mindedly bent down to help her, his mind racing. _Why was she here? _He heard someone talking, and dragged his thoughts back to the present, forcing his eyes to focus on the nurse, who was still apologising profusely. He looked down at her, then over at the redhead who was watching the scene with a mixture of amusement and surprise. He caught her eye and started to move towards her.  
"Don't worry about it." He mumbled at the nurse as he walked slowly down the corridor without taking his eyes of the woman in front of him.  
"Hey." He said, as he came up to her and Meredith, his usual cockiness deserting him as he looked at the woman who had all but dominated his thoughts, and a fair few of his fantasies.  
"Hey Alex!" Meredith replied, watching the pair closely. There was a weird vibe emanating from them, and she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. "Are you here to check on the triplets?" she continued, wondering if Alex was actually going to acknowledge her presence. There was a momentary pause, so slight that she might have imagined it, then Alex replied,  
"Yeah I wanted to see how they were doing. I'm scrubbing in on Mollie's surgery in a couple of days, when she's a little stronger."  
Meredith nodded and smiled, glancing once more between the pair.  
"Well, I better be going." She announced cheerfully, "it was good to see you again Doctor Montgomery. Have a safe trip back to LA." She smiled, noting Alex's reaction to her words. As she turned to leave, Addison spoke,  
"Take care, Meredith. Think about what I said, ok?" They both watched as Meredith made her way down the corridor. Then there was silence. The only sounds were those native to the hospital: machinery, the occasional baby's cry, and the staff chattering as they went about their duties. Between them, however, there was just silence. Finally Alex forced himself to speak.  
"So," he paused, "LA huh? Well it looks like it agrees with you." He wasn't lying either, he didn't think he had ever seen her looking so radiant. Her skin was lightly tanned, her deep red hair was streaked with a natural tones of gold and copper. She smiled at him. He had grown up a bit since the last time she had seen him, when she had walked away from quite possibly the most confusing man she had ever known, let alone fallen for. He looked a little more worldly-wise, something she knew he had always had been, but had always covered up with his frat-boy posturing. She nodded.  
"An old med school friend runs a clinic there." She replied,  
"That has to be slightly different from Seattle Grace." He said, "What are you doing back here?"  
"Richard asked me back for a consult," Addison replied in a similar, slightly awkward tone of voice, "I'm heading back to LA tomorrow morning." She felt herself shiver slightly under the intensity of his gaze. He was watching her closely, almost as if he was memorising her features. She opened her mouth to ask him how he was enjoying being a resident, when he broke in abruptly,  
"Are you seeing anyone?" she blinked, but before she had a chance to respond – whether to tell him to mind his own business or not, she wasn't quite sure – he carried on talking, "Sorry, it's none of my business." He ran his fingers nervously through his hair. "Forget I said that." He trailed off, the intensity in his eyes returning in full force. There was another pregnant pause. Addison felt her legs grow a little weak under his gaze, and she cursed the blush that she knew was rising to her cheeks.  
"So you're still trying to get into obstetrics then?" she replied at last. Alex shrugged.  
"It sure beats plastics. I had vision of ending up like Sloan!"A small grin, "Besides, I used to have this really hot mentor, and she kind of helped develop my interest." Her cheeks were so aflame at that comment that it took all of her willpower not to cover her face with her hands.  
"Alex…" she started, but words failed her. He flashed her his usual half smile, and reached over to grab her hand,  
"I've missed you." He said, so softly she briefly wondered if she had imagined it. He blushed slightly, and let go of her hand. "It was nice to see you again, Addi…Doctor Montgomery. I'm afraid I have to go and check on a couple of patients, otherwise Bailey and your ex-husband will start shouting at me!" Again that half smile. Addison smiled back at him, a tiny ray of hope forcing its way into her heart.  
"Good to see you, Doctor Karev." She replied, "If you ever find yourself in LA then look me up." He nodded, and awkwardly looked at the ground.  
"Bye." he mumbled, before heading towards the NICU. As he started to key in the code, he heard her speak again.  
"Alex?" he turned to look at her, "I'm not seeing anyone." She said simply, offering him a killer smile. He hesitated. There was an on-call room right behind her, and he couldn't help remember her pushing him into a similar one, all those months ago. Then his mind flashed to her sitting in the reception area. _"I'm not your boyfriend" _he'd said. What an ass! How could he have been both so stupid and so mean. Especially when that was what he had wanted all along. He met her eyes and gave her an uncomfortable smile,  
"That's good to know." He heard himself say, and then he carried on into the NICU, glancing back at her one last time.

Addison watched him go with a mixture of sadness and amusement. She wasn't blind; she had noticed the slight wistfulness in his last look back. It seemed they were destined never to say what the other wanted to hear at the right time.  
"I saw that!" Callie's voice came from behind her, "You just can't keep away from your little boy toy!" Addison turned round and laughed,  
"I don't know what you mean!" she replied innocently.  
"Please! You were practically drooling." Callie smirked. "Why don't you just drag him into another on-call room and get it over with!?"  
"Callie Torres!" Addison exclaimed, glancing around frantically to see if anyone had heard.  
"C'mon, Addie, admit it! The though crossed your mind at least once during that conversation." Addison couldn't help but smile, and blushed, knowing her friend had caught her out. "He's been pretty different since you left." Callie added suddenly. She wasn't overly keen on Alex, but she didn't really know him that well and she believed that her friend had seen a different side to him. And besides, Addison had been through enough. She deserved to be happy. Karev couldn't be that much of an idiot – she had a feeling that the side most people saw of Alex was just a front. Watching him around Addison was kind of sweet. He was obviously totally smitten, but for whatever reason was refusing to fully admit this, either to himself, or to Addison. Addison looked at her questioningly,  
"What do you mean?" she asked. Callie hesitated; a lot of what she was about to repeat was nurses' gossip, but some were her own observations.  
"He's just different. You know he's aiming to specialise in Neo-natal now? Alex Karev? The Mark Sloan clone?!" Addison frowned at that.  
"He's not like Mark." She interjected quickly.  
"He was." Callie pointed out, "Not so much anymore. You know, he hasn't dated anyone since you left? Some people thought he was with Meredith's half-sister. But he's not. I overheard her discussing him with some of the other interns. He told her that he was into someone else, and when she asked who, he just told her that she didn't live here anymore." Addison looked surprised,  
"But even if he did mean me, he told me himself he wasn't interested." She replied.  
"Well if you ask me, from the way he was looking at you just now, I'd say he's changed his mind!"

At that moment, the door to the NICU opened, and Alex walked out chatting to Izzie, who had also been checking on the triplets. All of them froze. Alex seemed shocked to see Addison still standing there; he could barely take his eyes off of her. Addison, terrified that he had heard what she and Callie had been discussing, blushed hotly. Callie and Izzie were watching each other warily.  
"Doctor Montgomery!" Izzie exclaimed after a moment, "I heard you were back. How long are you staying for?"  
"Just a flying visit I'm afraid, Stevens." Addison replied, glancing between Alex and Izzie and trying to ignore the flicker of jealousy that was igniting inside. "If you'll all excuse me," she continued, glancing at her watch, "I have a meeting with Richard in a few minutes so I should get going. It was good to see you again, Stevens, Karev." She nodded at them both, holding Alex's gaze for a moment longer than necessary. "You coming, Callie?"She led the way down the corridor, and Callie, after a moment at looking at the other two, followed her. The moment that they were out of earshot, Izzie turned to Alex,  
"What was that?!" she asked.  
"What do you mean?" he replied cagily,  
"The ex-she shepherd," Izzie answered, searching his face for a clue, "she wasn't blushing that hard because of me!"  
"It's nothing Iz." Alex mumbled in response, not meeting her gaze.  
"Seriously?!" Izzie asked, "that's all you're going to give me?! You know all about my love life."  
"Iz, the entire hospital knows about your love life!" Alex retorted teasingly, "Some of us prefer to keep things quiet." He stopped, realising that he had dropped himself in it.  
"So there's something to keep secret then?" Izzie replied with a grin.  
"Izzie..." he said, pleadingly. She rolled her eyes at him,  
"Fine. I won't say anymore. But one day I will get it out of you."

About an hour and a half later, Addison and Callie were sat in a corner at Joe's havng a coffee.  
"I can't believe you aren't going to do anything about the boy toy!" Callie was saying, "Seriously!" Addison quirked an eyebrow at her friend,  
"Seriously?!" she echoed, "Been spending too much time around the 12 year olds have we!"  
"Don't change the subject." Callie retorted with a grin, "Why won't you do anything?"  
"He made his feelings perfectly clear." Addison replied, a little despondently.  
"Sure he did." Callie replied sarcastically, "You should have seen the way he was looking at you. The boy is totally smitten."  
"He really isn't." Callie grinned,  
"Well, the way I see it, you have two choices." She replied, "You can go on being stubborn and miss what may be your last opportunity with him." Addison rolled her eyes. "Or," Callie continued, "You can invite him out for a drink and see where the night goes."  
Addison sighed. Callie was right, and she knew it. But she couldn't bear the idea that he might say no. It would just be so humiliating. She took a sip of her coffee, an idea forming slowly in her mind.

Alex felt exhausted as he wandered into the locker room and started to get ready to leave for the night. He was tempted to drop in at Joe's and drown his sorrows with a few beers; it had been a long day, and seeing Addison had thrown him off his game a little. He sighed, wondering where she had gone. He hadn't seen her in the hospital since earlier that day when they had met outside the NICU. He really wanted to see her again before she left, but that didn't look very likely. He supposed he could go to her hotel – presumably she was staying the same one – but that was a little too crazy stalker-like for him. He shoved open the door and wandered into the locker room where he found Izzie and Meredith chatting as they got changed.  
"Hey Alex," Meredith said as he came in, "we're heading home in a few minutes. Are you coming?" He smiled at her as he moved around the corner to his locker.  
"Sure, sounds good." He replied, pulling of his scrub vest and reaching to open his locker. As the door opened, a piece of paper fell out onto the floor, as if it had been wedged down the side of the door, completely unnoticed by Alex himself, who was focussed on pulling out a shirt so that he could get out of there as quickly as possible. Luckily for him, Izzie was a little more observant, reaching down to pick it up from her position on the bench.  
"You dropped thi…" she trailed off as she glanced at the note. The pink writing was familiar to it, but she couldn't place it. It was dated that day, and read: 'Meet me at Joe's at 8' She grinned at him, holding out the note, "Hot date?!" she asked teasingly. He looked up from buttoning his shirt in confusion,  
"huh?" he asked dumbly, staring at the piece of paper in her hand.  
"C'mon Alex, who is she? I didn't know you were seeing anyone?" Izzie pressed, waving the paper in front of his face until he snatched it from her hand,  
"I'm not." He replied, staring at the sheet of paper now resting in his grip. He recognised the writing immediately, and his heart gave a leap as he realised who it was from. Izzie rolled her eyes,  
"So who is leaving you little notes in your locker then?!" she replied. Meredith laughed as Alex blushed slightly,  
"He so knows who it is." She said to Izzie, who took the note back and re-read it.  
"I really recognise the writing," She said with a frown, "but I can't place it." There was a pause as the two girls looked at Alex expectantly. Then Izzie exclaimed,  
"Oh my god, it's Montgomery isn't it?! I thought there was something weird going on there." He coughed and replied,  
"There's nothing going on between me and Montgomery, Iz." Both girls looked at him knowingly.  
"Sure there isn't." Meredith chimed in, exchanging an amused glance with Izzie. "Things were weird between you two earlier. What did you do to her?!"  
"Nothing!" Alex mumbled in reply, still staring at the note that was back in Izzie's hand.  
"Ok, so what did you _not _do to her then?!" Izzie asked with a smirk. Alex looked up. "Oh my god, you slept with the ex-she shepherd?!" she exclaimed, taking in the look on his face. That look quickly turned to panic, as he looked round frantically to check there no-one else had overheard,  
"Izzie!" he all but shouted, "Keep it down will you?" Izzie stared at him.  
"You really like her." She stated. It wasn't a question. Alex's feelings were written all over his face. He didn't answer. "Well?" she carried on, glancing at her watch, "What are you waiting for? It's almost 8! You better get going!" When Alex didn't move, she added, "Alex! You're gonna be late!" He shrugged. He didn't know what to do. He was torn between wanting to ignore the note, put her out of his mind and get on with his life, and racing across to Joe's, pulling her into his arms and kissing her for all she was worth. However, part of him knew that he would never do either of those things. She had been almost constantly on his mind from the moment they had kissed all those months ago, but things were complicated. She lived in LA now. Was there any point in going to meet her? She'd be on the first plane out of Seattle tomorrow morning. He felt a hand on his arm, dragging him towards the door. Meredith was pulling along.  
"Mer, what are you..?" he trailed off as the door swung open before them, and George and Cristina came in.  
"What's evil spawn done this time?" Cristina asked immediately, looking suspiciously at them.  
"Nothing!" Meredith replied, taking her hand off his arm. "I was just trying to hurry Alex up." Cristina didn't look convinced.  
"Whatever." She said, "Let's go to Joe's. I'm in serious need of tequila!" Alex opened his mouth to respond, when Meredith jumped in for him, she guessed that he wouldn't want an audience for his, whatever it was, with Addison.  
"I don't really feel like Joe's tonight. Why don't we go and get drunk at my house?" Cristina shrugged,  
"Same difference I suppose." She looked round at the group. "Let's go then people!" They all got ready to leave in record time, apart from Alex, who was staring broodily into his locker.  
As they headed out the door, George turned to him,  
"Are you not coming Alex?" Alex looked up and caught Meredith's eye,  
"I'll meet you guys there; I've got a few errands to run first."  
"See you later then." George replied, obviously not suspecting anything, as he followed the girls out of the locker room.  
Alex watched them leave, then turned back to his locker, studying the note that Izzie had surreptitiously given back to him.

**_

* * *

_**

So, what did you think?? Shall I continue?

**_All reviews, good and bad, are appreciated!_**

**_Thanks for reading!!_**

* * *


	2. Clinging to Life

**Thanks to all those of you who reviewed. I hope you enjoy this next installment :o)**

* * *

Addison was sat at the bar in Joe's, butterflies tap dancing in her stomach as she glanced at her watch for about the 10th time in the last 5 minutes. 8.17...he obviously wasn't coming. She had clearly imagined the look in his eyes when they were speaking earlier; he had moved on..if he had ever been interested at all. She took another sip of her drink, glancing at her watch again. 8.18. She sighed, then got to her feet and threw some money on the bar for her drink. Glancing wistfully around the bar, she picked up her a bag and moved sadly towards the door. She wasn't really paying attention to where she was going, and as she leaned against the door to push it open, someone yanked it open, and she suddenly found herself being supported by another body; someone's arms wrapped firmly around her waist. She closed her eyes briefly, recognizing the familiar scent of his aftershave, the usual feelings of desire rising to the surface. Her eyes snapped open as he spoke,

"I knew you would throw yourself at me again at some point." Angrily, she pulled back from him,

"Mark!" she replied, aiming a punch at his arm, "Don't be such an ass." She smoothed out the wrinkles in her skirt, glancing around her surreptitiously, hoping to see Alex's tall frame coming to her rescue. No such luck. Mark smiled at her, a proper McSteamy smile and she rolled her eyes.

"Where are you running off to so early?" he asked, "Why don't you stay and have a drink?"

"Tempting." she replied sarcastically, "But, no. I've got an early flight in the morning." Mark shrugged, not overly surprised. The way she was looking around lead him to believe that she had been meeting someone, Karev most probably. He didn't understand what she saw in the cocky, young intern.

"Well, it was good to see you, Addie" he said, flashing her his most charming smile once again, "Come back and visit soon, ok?" He pulled her into a fairly unwelcome hug. She pulled back quickly, not wanting to get sucked back in to Mark's man-whorish ways.

"Bye." Was all she said, as she moved round him and walked away, heading for the street, and the taxi rank that was there. There were a couple of people in front of her in the queue, and she stood impatiently behind a couple and their two year old daughter, who was testing her vocabulary by naming things in the street. She felt herself getting a little teary watching the little girl. She had never realised just how much she wanted children of her own until she was faced with the possibility she wouldn't be able to. She thought back to before she left Seattle. She hadn't been imagining it. There had been something between her and Alex. The few kisses they had shared had held promises of something more, and the sex? Well that had been nothing short of mind-blowing. So what had gone wrong? Was Alex really just a younger version of Mark? She had been sure it was just a front. He had let his guard down around her more than once, and those glimpses had allowed her to paint a picture of a genuinely solid guy. She jerked out of her reverie suddenly when the little girl tugged gently on her coat and smiled up at her with big blue eyes, before being pulled away by her apologetic parents.

* * *

It was there that Alex spotted her. He'd been on his way to join her when he realized he had forgotten to pick up some test results that were needed for rounds the next morning. Thanks to an extra-slow clerk, it had taken a little time, and he now raced out of the hospital, heading towards Joe's, when he saw her standing in the queue watching the little girl in front of her despondently. He hesitated. He knew where she would be going and he knew he had screwed up. He had stood her up, and he need to make it up to her. After a beat he ducked back into the shadows and headed to his car.

For a moment, Addison was sure someone was watching her. But when she looked up, the street was deserted. The taxi containing the young family drove off, leaving her alone at the taxi rank. She couldn't believe it. She had been back in Seattle for five minutes and the perpetual feeling loneliness that that had plagued her while she had lived there. At that moment a cab pulled up, and she hopped in the back.

"The Archfield hotel, please?"

She couldn't believe she had been so stupid. Leaving him a note like that. Of course he wouldn't have turned up. He wasn't interested. He had told her so himself. Thank god she was going back to LA in the morning. Away from this madness. These were the thoughts that were running through her head as the taxi drive her slowly away from Joe's, and by proxy Seattle Grace, and Alex, towards the hotel where she had spent the better part of a year. She was ready to go up to her room, order room service and wallow in her pyjamas for the rest of the evening. As the taxi pulled up outside the hospital, her heart gave a leap when she recognized the figure that was standing at the top of the steps, leaning casually against the pillar. She was so distracted that she barely heard the driver asking for the fare. She handed over some bills, ran her fingers nervously through her hair and got out. _What was he doing here? He had stood her up. He wasn't interested. _She looked up at him as she headed towards the door. He was watching her. A smile, half way between apologetic and nervous, had appeared on his face. She approached him slowly, butterflies jumping her stomach. For a moment they stood facing each other in silence, until they were interrupted by the doorman.

"Good evening, Doctor Montgomery." She glanced round at him and smiled.

"Evening, Billy." She replied with a warm smile, "How are your grandchildren getting on?"

"Growing up too fast." The older man chuckled. He glanced at the pair knowingly, "I'd get inside quickly if I were you; the news said there was a storm coming tonight." Addison glanced at Alex, and received a half smile in return.

"Stay dry, Billy," she said, turning away from him and heading inside. Alex stared after her for a second, then followed her in to the hotel reception area.

* * *

Addison led him over to the bar area, scared to break the silence that existed between them. She leaned casually against the bar, watching him mimic her stance. Alex stared back at her, wondering if she was mad at him. The silence was killing him.

"I'm sorry I was late." He said finally. Her eyes snapped up from the menu she was studying to his face. He ploughed on, "I was always going to come meet you." She smiled at him, still not saying a word. "I had to pick up some labs; Ted had to find them for me, and you know how slow he is." He smirked at her. It was a running joke at the hospital. Ted was a really nice guy. But efficient he was not. A quick trip to get some lab results could often end up taking 20 minutes while he faffed around with paperwork.

"I thought you didn't want to see me." The words slipped out of Addison's mouth before she could stop them. She looked down at her hands in embarrassment. She sounded like a lovesick teenager! She felt his hand on her chin, lifting it slightly to force her to look at him.

"Nothing could be.." They were interrupted by the barman.

"What can I get you folks?" They jerked apart, as if burned, both blushing hotly.

"Can I get a Bud please?" Alex said, "And a…" he turned enquiringly to Addison.

"Vodka and tonic please."

"Sure . Why don't you take a seat, and I'll bring them right over." Alex nodded, glancing around the room. Apart from a few solitary businessmen sat at small tables, tapping away frantically on laptops or Blackberries, the bar was pretty much empty. He led her over to a secluded corner, to a table with a couple of leather sofas, and a view out of the window of the Space Needle, today lit up by turquoise lights. Addison sat on the sofa facing the window, curling her legs underneath her. Alex hesitated, before sitting down tentatively next to her.

Silence.

They both stared out of the window, sneaking sideways glances at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking.

"Have you ever been up it?" Alex broke the silence once more, pointing in the direction of the massive monument.

"Never." Addison replied, "I always planned to. But things didn't work out the way I expected and I ran out of time."

"Next time you come back, I'll take you up." Alex offered with a grin. She quirked an eyebrow at him,

"You think I'm going to come back?"

"You'll miss me." He replied simply, flashing her a teasing grin. She giggled.

"_I'll _miss _you_?!" she emphasised, "I'm pretty sure it will be the other way round!"Alex pouted,

"You won't miss me?" The barman came up quietly and set their drinks on the table, leaving the check discreetly beside them. She smiled,

"I might." She admitted, a slight blush colouring her cheeks. There was a pause, and Alex took a swig of his beer. He really wanted to kiss her, but despite the light-hearted flirting, there was still an undertone of awkwardness in their exchanges.

"Have you missed it?"

"Seattle Grace?" Addison looked him in the eye, "Some parts more than others." She smiled. "I like LA, it's been good for me. And the people I work with are good people." She hesitated, just a fraction, but enough for Alex to pick up on.

"But?" She smiled.

"I kind of miss being rushed off my feet. I see 2 patients a day max." Alex chuckled,

"Who would have thought: Addison Montgomery, the adrenaline junkie!" he teased, "well, for what it's worth, the place isn't the same without you." had added, surprising her with his obvious sincerity. 

Their eyes met suddenly, matching blushes scarring their cheeks. Alex couldn't help himself; he lifted a hand and gently tucked a strand of hair back behind her ears, cupping her cheek in his hand. Her eyes fluttered shut involuntarily, and he took the opportunity to lean forward and ghost a gentle kiss on her lips, before moving back quickly, dropping his hand to rest on hers, waiting for her reaction.

For a moment she didn't want to open her eyes, just in case she'd imagined it. A gentle squeeze on her hand forced her to open them however, and her gaze was immediately drawn to meet Alex's, who was watching her nervously. He smiled shyly at her, and was relieved to see her smile back.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly. Addison felt her plummet, and her face fell. "Not about the kiss." He said quickly, noting her reaction. "About before. I shouldn't have said what I did. I was interested back then. Too interested. You were my boss; you must be able to understand that I didn't want to become another in a long line of interns sleeping with an attending." Addison opened her mouth to respond, but he barrelled on, "Please, Addie, let me get this out." Her nickname slipped out before he could stop it, and he blushed adorably as he continued. "I'm not good at relationships. I'm only good at hurting the people I care about. I don't know how to be that guy. I didn't want to add your name to my list of failed.." he paused, spotting tears welling up in her eyes, "and now I've managed to do it anyway." He pulled away, moving to stand up, "I'm sorry. I'll go. I shouldn't have.." He was cut off by Addison leaning forward, and pressing a kiss firmly on his lips. He froze momentarily, then snaked his arms around her, pulling her as close as their slightly awkward positions allowed and deepening the kiss.

After a few moments, Addison became aware of their surroundings, and pulled back reluctantly, a huge smile on her face. She brushed at the tears that had slipped down her cheeks, and placed both her hands over Alex's.

"So what about now?" she asked, a hopeful smile gracing her features.

"Huh?" Alex managed to get out, his head spinning a little from the kiss.

"I'm not your attending." She replied as calmly as she could, "Are you still interested?" Alex smiled impishly, got up, pulling her to her feet along with him and, after throwing a few bills down for the drinks, took her hand and led her through the bar to the lifts.

**

* * *

**

Let me know what you think! Reviews of all shapes and sizes are appreciated – they really brighten up my day at work, so help a girl out would ya?!


	3. The Reason

**Thank you so much to all of you who have read and reviewed this story. As usual, I lied, I actully have one more chapter to come after this one!! **

**Hope you enjoy this :o)**

* * *

Addison was woken a few hours later by lightning illuminating the uncovered window, and an accompanying rumble of thunder. She stretched languidly, trying not to disturb the man lying next to her. She couldn't wipe the smile off her face. If someone had told her yesterday morning, when she had been standing outside Seattle Grace feeling a fair amount of trepidation, that by the evening she would be lying in bed with Alex, she would have laughed at them. But yet here she was. She slid out of bed quietly, picking up Alex's t-shirt from where it lay on the floor and pulling it on. She moved quietly over to the window, perching on the arm of armchair as she pulled the curtains.

The sudden darkness caused Alex to start, and he instinctively reached out for the woman who had been sleeping next to him. He squinted into the darkness, his eyes eventually spotting her still sat on the armchair, peeking at the storm through a small gap in the curtains.

"Babe, come back to bed." He mumbled, burying his face in the pillow. She glanced over at him, slightly touched by the mumbled endearment. He had said it so naturally.

"In a minute." She replied, still staring out the window. She loved watching thunderstorms. There was something so cosy and satisfying about sitting inside watching the Mother Nature wreak havoc on the world outside. Storms were also a good time to think. Their sheer force and power somehow made even the biggest issues seem resolvable. With a good-natured sigh, Alex rolled slowly out of bed, pulling on his boxers as he went, and moved over to her, collapsing in the seat of the armchair and pulling her into his lap, making her squeal in surprise. She snuggled instinctively against him as he wrapped his arms securely around her and they sat in silence for while, watching the storm through the gap in the curtains. After a while, neither the storm nor Alex's hand absently tracing patterns on her leg could stop her from thinking, and Addison couldn't help but voice the thought that was going round and round in her head.

"Alex?" she said hesitantly, turning her head slightly to look up at him.

"Yeah?" he asked, stifling a yawn as he glanced down at her.

"What are we going to do?" Alex sighed. He knew they had to sort that out, but he was also happy to live in denial for a little bit longer. He tightened his grip, pulling her imperceptibly closer to him.

"I don't know." He replied eventually, pressing a kiss against her forehead. It was an impossible situation. He couldn't just up and leave Seattle. And she had her job and patients back in LA.

"Richard's still holding my position open." Addison said, "I could come back?" Alex ran a hand through his hair, causing it to spike up slightly,

"But that's not fair on you. You've built yourself a life in LA. I can't expect you to give that up." He paused, a thought occurring to him. "I could always transfer to one of the LA hospitals; finish my residency down there."

"Don't be silly. The program at Seattle Grace is one of the best in country. I won't let you give that up for me. Between the two of us, it makes more sense for me to move back. I never should have left in the first place." Addison replied, shifting slightly so that she could see his face better, and leaning up to kiss him briefly.

"Why did you leave?" he asked, after a moment's pause. "I mean, one minute you were here, and then the next, you went to LA, came back and announced that you were leaving." He reached down and cupped her face in his hand, "Were you _that _unhappy here?" Addison bit her lip, hoping that he would understand what she was about to say.

"I was lonely." She replied, "When I came out here, I never expected to stay. I thought that Derek and I would go back to our lives in New York and that would be that." She paused, as a ray of lightening crackled through the sky, closely followed by a loud crash of thunder. "After the divorce, and when Mark came, I was sad. I missed my home, my friends, my old life. I found myself slipping into my old ways – sleeping with Mark, and I hated myself for it." She smiled at him suddenly, "Then I started to get to know people – Callie, Miranda.." she hesitated, "you. And things started to improve. But I couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing in my life. I needed to remember who I was." A couple tears made their way down her face, and he reached up and brushed them away gently with his thumb. "After it all went badly with you, Naomi invited me out to California. When she offered me the job, I jumped at the chance – I needed to escape from my old life, and I didn't think anyone would care."

Alex looked down at the woman in his arms. She was so beautiful. And she had been through so much. She really had needed to get away, he realised and it had done her good. He also recognised that it had done them both good. He had pushed her away, to protect her. He hadn't wanted to end up as the next in a long list of men to hurt her. She meant too much to him. Now as he watched her, he was struck how together she seemed now, in comparison with when she had left Seattle. She wasn't broken anymore. He gently tipped her chin up, forcing her eyes to meet his.

"I cared." He said softly. Addison felt her eyes well up; he really did say the sweetest things at times. She doubted many people would believe her if she told them that. She saw the concern in his eyes, and smiled reassuringly at him. She glanced out of the window. The storm was moving away, the lightning flashes becoming more and more distant and infrequent. She felt exhausted, and couldn't stop the yawn that suddenly came. Alex grinned impishly, shifting slightly so one of his arms was hooked under her legs and, without warning, stood up, lifting her with him. She squealed in surprise,

"Alex! Put me down!" she giggled, as she wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers toying with the hair at the nape of his neck. Alex smirked at her, walked over to the bed and dumped her unceremoniously on it.

"As the lady wishes!" he said before lying down beside her, and leaning over to kiss her. They stayed that way trading kisses, which slowly got more passionate.

* * *

When Addison woke up, the sun was peeking through the gap in the curtains. She lay there quietly for a few minutes; content to savour the feeling of Alex's arms wrapped around her, his body spooned up against her back. She still couldn't really believe she was here. Or that she had to get on a plane later that morning. She wondered what they were going to do. She was happy in LA, but, if she was honest with herself, she missed her life in Seattle. She was almost a little bored at her job in LA; one patient a day was all very well, but she missed the hustle and bustle of Seattle Grace, and the variety of people she met there. The day before, Richard had asked her if she would consider returning to the hospital, and she knew she had unconsciously hesitated just enough that he wouldn't be surprised if she walked into the hospital later that day and told him she had changed her mind. She was willing to move back; not just for them, they had only spent one night together, and although she thought Alex was as serious about them as she was, she wasn't foolishly romantic enough to think that one night was enough to move your entire life for. She knew it would do her career good to stay in Seattle. Even before she had moved to LA, a small voice inside her had told her that moving to such a small clinic was something of a cop-out; that she would be able to help so many more people if she stayed in Seattle. The problem would be convincing Alex of all of this. She was starting to see just how protective he was of the people he cared about, and he would take a lot convincing that this was what she truly wanted. Addison smiled as she felt Alex's arms tighten around her waist, telling her he was awake. She turned over carefully in his arms until she was facing him, not wanting him to let go of her. He smiled sleepily at her,

"Morning." He said softly, his voice adorably rough with sleep.

"Hi." She replied, feeling suddenly a little bit shy. It was a strange experience waking up next to someone for the first time, and something she hadn't done for a long time.

"What time is it?" She smiled, inching forward slightly to kiss him softly and then glanced at her watch.

"Half six." She replied, "What time do you have to get to the hospital?"

"I've got rounds at half past 8." He replied as he stretched, "What time is your flight?"

Addison sighed, "It's not until two." She replied, "Alex.."

"I was thinking I could pull a sickie; hang out with you until your flight." He interrupted quickly, flashing her a slightly sheepish smile.

"I can't ask you to do that. You know what Miranda will do if she finds out!" Again that sheepish smile,

"I think you're worth the risk." She blushed scarlet at that. Who was she to argue with that?!

"So what are we going to do?" she replied after a pause. He leered at her jokingly,

"Well, one of my ideas includes keeping you in this bed all day, and never letting you leave." He said, making her giggle and punch him on the arm. "But we could always stay in bed a little longer, then get up and go to Green Lake Park for a walk and a picnic? I could drop you to the airport after that?" She smiled at him.

"I'd like that." She replied.

* * *

Eleven o'clock saw them ambling round the lake path hand in hand, chatting and laughing together as if they'd known each other forever. They had surprisingly similar tastes in music and were cheerfully arguing over whom was the better singer and guitarist: Dave Grohl from Foo Fighters, or John Rzneznik from the Goo Goo Dolls.

"No way!" Alex was saying, "Dave Grohl is quite clearly the king! Rzeznik's lyrics are amazing, but as far as playing live goes, the Foos are just immense!"

"You've seen them live?" Addison asked, "I'm so jealous! Derek and I had tickets once, but he was too busy working to come. I ended up giving them to my best friend and her husband because I didn't want to go alone." He gave her hand a quick, reassuring squeeze.

"One day I'll take you." He replied, "No-one should miss out on seeing them live."

They walked along in silence for a few minutes, until they rounded the corner and arrived at a lookout point.

"This is beautiful!" Addison exclaimed, as the stood on a slightly elevated 'headland' jutting out into the lake, giving them a perfect view of the sprawling city on one side, and rest of the park on the other.

"It's my favourite place in Seattle." Alex replied, leading her off the trail and over to an enormous, leafy white elm tree. He pulled a picnic blanket out of the hamper he was carrying, and laid it on the ground. They both sat down, Alex leaning casually against the tree trunk. "It's where I come to think." He added, as she made herself comfortable, tucking her legs up under her.

"So how many other girls have you brought here?!" she asked teasingly, as she rummaged around in the hamper, pulling out the sandwiches and crisps they had bought on their way there.

"None." He replied quietly, smiling almost shyly at her.

"Alex.." she started, before being cut off by his lips on hers. She pulled back after a couple of minutes, feeling slightly breathless. She couldn't remember Derek's kisses ever making her heart race like it was now.

"I can't believe I have to go back to LA in a couple of hours." She said suddenly, determined that they were going to continue their early morning conversation.

"I know babe, it really sucks." Alex replied, "But there's not much we can do about it for the moment."

"I'm going to tell Richard that I'd like to come back." Addison said calmly. Alex looked at her in surprise. Although they had talked briefly about it, nothing had been decided on, and he didn't want her to make a snap decision that she would later regret.

"Addie.." he started, but she cut him off.

"No, please hear me out. I want to come back. Richard told me yesterday that he would leave my position open a bit longer so I could make a decision. He asked me to stay. And I want to. I'm the one that ran away, so I'm the one that should come back."

"It doesn't work that way." Alex argued, reaching out and taking her hands in his, "I'm one of the ones that pushed you away. You've built yourself a new life out there. It'll be easy for me to transfer my Residency to Cedars Sinai or one of the other hospitals." Addison sighed. He was so stubborn.

"Why don't we try the long-distance thing for a while? Whatever we decide to do is going to take some time in any case." She said, looking down at their joined hands. Alex considered this. She had a point. It was a huge deal to uproot your life for someone, especially someone you had only been on one date with. But still. He had only just got her back, and he wasn't keen to let her go again so quickly.

"When will we see each other?" He looked a little lost, and Addison couldn't help but lean in and give him a quick kiss.

"The weekends." She replied, "Or whenever our days off coincide. We can meet somewhere between Seattle and LA, or take it in turns to visit." She smiled at him, "So, shall we see how it goes?" He nodded, slowly.

"It's going to suck." He pouted, making her laugh.

"I can't argue with that. But it's our only choice for the moment." She replied, glancing at her watch. "I suppose we should eat." She added, "I've got to be at the airport in a couple of hours." She turned away from him for a moment, her attention back on the hamper, much to Alex's amusement. He shifted slightly to kneel behind her, and wrapped his arms around her waist, peppering soft kisses to her neck, causing her to giggle and lean back slightly into his embrace.

"Allleeexxx!" she laughed, squirming against him, and turning round in time to see an innocent expression on his face.

"What?!" He grinned at her.

* * *

They were both quiet as they walked hand in hand into Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Neither was ready to say goodbye just yet.

"This is the first boarding call for American Airlines flight 163 to Los Angeles. Would all passengers please go to gate 17." Addison sighed audibly.

"Well, I guess I better go." Alex pulled her into his arms in response, burying his nose in her hair, and holding her tight.

"I'll miss you." he said softly as he pulled back, pressing his lips to hers.

"I'll miss you too." She replied.

"Call me when you get home?" Alex asked, kissing her softly again. She nodded. "And I'll see you on Sunday? I'll let you know when I've booked my flights."

"Ok." She replied, smiling wanly at him, blinking back the tears that she felt welling up in her eyes.

"This is the final boarding call for American Airlines flight 163 to Los Angeles. Would all remaining passengers please go to gate 17 immediately."

Alex squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Have a safe flight." He said, kissing her one last time. She nodded, not quite trusting her voice.

"Bye." She managed to say as she picked up her handbag and walked slowly away.

"Addie?" Alex called after her. She turned and looked questioningly at him as he offered her his trademark half-smile.

"I'm glad you came back." He said. She glanced back at the queue of people in the gate, then turned back to face him, running quickly over to kiss him again.

"Me too." She replied with a huge smile, pulling back reluctantly. "See you on Sunday." She added, before turning away again and joining the back of the queue.

* * *

When she walked into work the next morning, she couldn't stop the smile that kept appearing on her face. She could hardly believe that two days ago she had been considering telling Richard that she couldn't make it up to Seattle for the consult, and now here she was contemplating a move back there.

"Whoa, who's put that smile on your face?!" Pete asked jokingly as she walked into the staff room to grab a cup of coffee. She rolled her eyes.

"I don't know what you mean." She replied, smirking at him.

"Like hell you don't" Pete answered teasingly, "C'mon, spill it."

"Spill what?" Naomi asked as she joined them. Addison shrugged innocently.

"Why Addison is wearing such a cat-that-got-the-canary grin." Pete piped up, "What?!" he asked innocently as Addison shot him a warning look which was, unfortunately for her, was caught by Naomi.

"I never thought I'd say this, but Pete's right!" she exclaimed rolling her eyes at Pete as he stuck his tongue out at her, "Spill it, Addie!"

"There's nothing to tell." She insisted. At that moment, Sam strode in, whistling cheerfully. He took one look at Addison, and chuckled knowingly,

"Looks like someone got laid in Seattle." He said

"Sam!!" Addison squeaked, blushing hotly much to the amusement of the rest of the group.

"I knew it!" Pete exclaimed with a grin. "You can't hide anything from us, Montgomery." Naomi gasped suddenly,

"It was the boy toy wasn't it!?" she asked, much to Addison's consternation.

"No!" she protested weakly, "nothing happened in Seattle." Sam just laughed at her,

"Sure, Addie, whatever you say!" he said,

"I..uh.." Addison stuttered, picking up her coffee, "I've got to go." And with that, she left the room, her friends' laughter ringing in her ears.

She walked down the corridor and opened the door to her office, stopping short when she saw the biggest bouquet of tulips she had ever seen sitting on her desk. She gasped in surprise, and moved quickly to look for a card. She opened the envelope in a rush, and pulled out three pieces of card: two smaller, rectangular pieces, and the usual card that came with flowers. She looked at the first two cards and smiled. Tickets for the Foo Fighters concert in Seattle in 2 weeks. She shifted her attention to the notecard: it was printed in Alex's familiar, messy scrawl, and had only nine words.

_So you have a reason to come back._

__

Alex x

**

* * *

**

Thanks for reading! Go on, do me a favour, press the little purple button!


	4. I Drove All Night

****

Sorry for the slow posting - been busy at work, busy at home with my dissertation and feeling poorly which hasn't helped my creativeness!

**Here is what was going ot be the final installment, but probably won't! **

**Hope you enjoy it, and thanks to all of you who read and reviewed (or both) this story so far!!**

* * *

He was having a really bad day. His interns were driving him mad, asking stupid questions and generally being annoying. He suddenly understood how Bailey must have felt with them. He missed Addison too. They had had a fight on the phone the previous evening, which had ended with her hanging up on him and refusing to answer the phone when he had called her back.

It had been a little over two months since she had come back to Seattle for that consult, and despite the previous night's issue, things were going really well between them. They'd had their ups and downs; he knew he wasn't very good at the relationship stuff, and with Addison in LA, it made it even harder. But they made it work. She wasn't afraid to tell him when he was being an ass, they bickered about silly things, but they really cared for each other, and little by little, she was showing him that it was ok to show people your feelings. To put it quite simply, they suited each other down to the ground.

Very few people in Seattle knew about them. It had been noticed by some that Alex seemed to have stopped playing the field, but so far the only speculation as to why was that either he had already slept with all the eligible women in the hospital, or that he and Izzie had gotten back together and were keeping it quiet. Meredith, Izzie and Callie, the only three people who knew, were careful to help direct gossip away from the couple when necessary. And he was grateful to them. He knew the day that people found out would eventually come; especially if he moved to LA, or she came back here, but he was happy not having to live under the constant scrutiny of hospital gossip, the way some of the others did.

"Dr Karev?" He groaned inwardly. It was one of his interns.

"What?" he snapped, barely glancing up from the chart he was studying.

"I was hoping I might be able to scrub in on Mrs O'Connell's C-section today…" He looked at her in annoyance.

"Aren't you supposed to be helping Dr Bailey and Dr Stevens in the clinic?" He asked sharply.

"Yes, but.." the intern started, but he cut her off.

"Then get back down there!" he practically growled, turning his attention back to the chart in his hands.

"That wasn't very nice." a very familiar voice said from behind him. He started in surprise, wondering if he'd imagined it, and turned around slowly. He stared at her silently, almost scared to blink in case she was a mirage that would disappear as soon as he refocused his eyes. She moved closer, paying no attention to the passing doctors and nurses who looked surprised to see her. "I quit." She added as she stopped about a foot in front of him. No response. He just kept staring at her. She edged closer to him, startling him out of his thoughts,

"You're here." He said, sounding dazed, just as Derek came hurrying round the corner.

"Addison!" he exclaimed, "What are you doing here?" He looked suspiciously between the pair, comprehension dawning slowly on his face. He opened his mouth to say something, and Addison cut him off quickly,

"Hi Derek," she said, "I'm just here for a consult." He looked at her, amused.

"Is that what you call.." he was cut off by Meredith, who, having directed Addison to where Alex was, had followed her, and was standing nearby.

"Dr Shepherd, can I have a word with you please?" He turned at the sound of her voice and smiled warmly at her. They had been back together for a week or so, and he couldn't believe how happy he was.

"Just a second, Meredith" he replied, unable to resist the temptation of teasing his ex-wife about what appeared to be her new boyfriend. Meredith rolled her eyes,

"No. Now, if you don't mind!" She replied, taking his arm in her hand and dragging him down the corridor, away from the other two. As soon as they rounded the corner, she stopped, and Derek looked at her as if she had lost her mind.

"What was that for?" he asked, bemused.

"Leave Addison and Alex alone!" she replied, trying to stifle the giggle that threatened as the realisation dawned on his face.

"You knew?!" he asked, "And you didn't tell me?"

"Knew what?" Meredith replied innocently.

"About Addie and Karev!" he exclaimed, "Why didn't you tell me?" he looked at her, a little hurt.

"Derek, we were barely speaking up until a week ago!" she pointed out, "and anyway," she continued, "I was sworn to secrecy."

"I can't believe it!" he exclaimed, "Addison and Karev?! When did this happen?"

"A couple of months ago."

"Seriously?!" Meredith looked at him,

"Yes. But you can't say anything. Not yet anyway."

* * *

Meredith dragging Derek away down the corridor seemed to bring Alex out of his reverie. Ignoring the people watching them, he closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms, kissing her for all she was worth.

They pulled back after a couple of minutes to find a fair few doctors and nurses staring at them in shock.

"Hi." Addison said after a beat, smiling shyly at him.

"You're here." He repeated and she laughed,

"I'm here." She agreed.

"I'm sorry about last night. I was an ass." She looked at him squarely.

"Yeah, you were." She replied, a smile twitching at the corner of her mouth, "But they do call you evil spawn, it's kinda to be expected." He grinned at her and shrugged.

"I spose that's true." She giggled. After a couple of minutes of staring stupidly at each other, Alex suddenly noticed the stares they were attracting and, taking her hand in his, he pulled her down the corridor to the nearest on-call room, closing the door on the nosy stares they were getting.

"You quit?" he asked, not sure whether to be worried, annoyed or incredibly happy. If he was honest with himself, he was a bit of all three. At her nod he continued "Why?"

"Because I missed my job." She replied, "I missed Seattle, I missed being busy, I missed the variety of work, but mostly," she smiled at him and shrugged slightly, "I missed you." A half smile made its way onto Alex's face. He had been a little mad. He had hoped that they would have made this decision together, not on a whim after an argument. But if he was honest, he was relieved. He had missed her like crazy; starting a relationship long-distance was hard, especially when both parties had such hectic work schedules.

"So you're going to be my boss again?" he said, flashing her a cheeky grin, "That's kinda hot!" She giggled and aimed a gentle punch at his arm,

"Ass."

"Satan!" he countered, closing the distance between them and pulling her into his arms.

Although her relationship with Richard had always been close, almost like they were father and daughter, Addison felt pretty nervous as she knocked on his office door.

"Addison! What are you doing here?" Richard exclaimed as she came into the room. She smiled nervously at him.

"I..uh.. I wanted to know if my position was still open?" she said, sitting down in the seat opposite him. He smiled,

"Addie, I told you I would wait for you to make a decision, and I meant it. The job's still yours if you still want it."

"I want it." She replied immediately, "I've left the Oceanside. It wasn't for me." Richard nodded. He had hoped this would happen. She was one of the best doctors he knew, and he thought of her as a daughter. But part of him was still worried. Even though she looked a lot happier than when she had left, the same factors that he presumed had caused her to leave the first time round (mainly Meredith, Derek and Sloan) were still there. He didn't want to see her get hurt again.

"Are you sure you want to come back?" Addison looked at him, wondering what he was thinking,

"I.." she started, but Richard cut her off.

"When you left, you seemed so sure that it was the right thing to do. What's changed?" She glanced down at her hands, then back at him nervously.

"I left because I needed to remember how to be me. Being with Derek, and then with Mark, was a huge part of my life for a long time. I needed to remember who I was." She hesitated. She and Alex hadn't discussed whether they were going to tell people they were together, although presumably now that Derek, Meredith and Izzie knew, it was only a matter of time until the truth slipped out, and she wanted to be honest with her mentor. She owed him that much. "Professionally, I was happy here Richard. It was personally that I was a complete failure." She gave a self-deprecating grin.

"But that's changed now?" He looked at her. She looked nervous, but also strangely happy.

"Yes."

"Well I'm glad." Richard replied, "Welcome back Addie. You'll be on shift from Monday so that you have some time to sort things out before you start." He looked at her expectantly, obviously expecting her to get ready to leave. She didn't. The hesitation was clear on her face. "Is there something else?" Addison could see he was concerned, and sat up a little straighter, squaring her shoulders before speaking.

"It's about Doctor Karev." Richard took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes wearily.

"You and Karev?" he asked, not sounding overly surprised. It wasn't like this was first time it had happened. There were rumours flying around about Izzie Stevens and Mark Sloan as well 

which he was determined to ignore for as long as possible, although it was Miranda's reaction that he dreaded. She was right of course, this year it really _was _always one of hers.

"He was the reason why you left." It was a statement, not a question.

"He was part of it." Addison replied steadily.

"And he's the reason you want to come back?"

"He's part of it." She repeated, holding his gaze unflinchingly. She knew he couldn't have a problem with it, not with all the melodrama that had gone before, but she wanted his approval. She was closer to him than she had ever been to her own father, and she really hoped he wouldn't think any less of her.

There was a moment's silence as they stared at each other, and he noted the spark in her eye. She would never break things off with Karev on his say so, he could tell that. But it was also clear that she wanted his support.

"Well," he said gruffly, "I'm making it a point not to get involved in the love lives of my Attendings. Just make sure you keep things professional." Addison let out an audible sigh of relief.

"Thanks, Richard." She smiled as she stood up. "I'll see you on Monday." She turned to leave, and just as she reached for the door handle Richard added,

"Addie?" She half turned to look enquiringly at him, "Make sure you tell Miranda before Monday. She might need some time to cool down." She laughed,

"Good safety tip." She replied and left the room quickly, intent on hunting down her boyfriend before he went into surgery.

* * *

She spotted him sitting in the office by the OR nurses' station, his head buried in a paediatrics textbook. She grinned to herself and snuck up behind him, as quietly as she could in her high heels, placing her hands over his eyes and whispering,

"Guess who!" She felt the muscles in his face tighten as he smirked.

"Well I'm not due to meet my other girlfriend until tomorrow evening, so I guess this must be Sarah!?" She rolled her eyes and leaned down so that he mouth was level with his right ear, whispering softly,

"Actually, it's your new boss, as of Monday." She pulled back, uncovering his eyes as he twisted round to face her, a huge smile on his face.

"Monday? Seriously?" he leaned up to kiss her quickly, "You saw the Chief?"

"I did."

"And did you tell him.."

"Yeah. I had to tell him." She interrupted, looking at him a little nervously, "You don't mind do you?" He grinned at her, that same disarmingly cute half smile that she had first fallen for.

"Well as much fun as sneaking around would have been...I mean, think of all the hot, secret, on-call room sex we could have had." She punched him on the arm, "No, seriously. It's better that you told him than he finds out on his own." He glanced at his watch.

"I'm afraid I've got to run, Doctor Hahn is letting me scrub in on heart surgery on a 4 year old. I'm off at 7. Dinner tonight?" Addison smiled softly,

"Sure. I'm going to head to the Archfield and see if I can get a room." She leaned down and kissed him, "Call me when you finish."

He nodded and smiled at her, watching her walk away down the corridor. Suddenly his day was looking up.

**

* * *

**

Thanks for reading!!

**Hands up those who want a final chapter showing her first day back and everyone finding out!**


End file.
